Chicken Satay (Authentic and Best Sate Recipe) - Cook with Kushi (2024)

Published: Jul 2, 2018 · Modified: Feb 25, 2023 by Kushi · This post may contain affiliate links.

Chicken Satay is a spicy, lightly sweet, and tangy mouth-watering appetizer where the chicken is marinated overnight, and the chicken skewers are then grilled to perfection. A great mix of sweetness and spiciness! Grilled chicken sate is one of the best and easiest summer recipes I have tried. These grilled chicken satayscan be prepared in 30 minsand are under350 calories per serving.

About Chicken Sate Recipe

Chicken Satay (or Sate Ayam in Indonesia and Malaysia) means chicken seasoned, skewered, and grilled and served with a peanut dipping sauce and pickled vegetables. For the peanut sauce recipe, check out my post on fresh spring rolls served with peanut sauce.

The recipe below is especially for those who requested me to post barbeque (BBQ) or grilled chicken recipes. If you have not tried chicken satay at home so far, you have been missing out on something. The chicken is loaded with full of flavor and is exceptionally tender. I have served it with pickled vegetables and bread!

Boneless chicken thighs are used in the recipe, which is marinated in sauce and spices overnight and then grilled. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and mix in the marinate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight or at least 5 hours.

If you are in a rush, you can marinate the chicken for 15 minutes before you grill. Longer marination ensures that every chicken bite is flavorful, juicy, and tender.

Vary the amount of sauces and spices as per your taste. When ready to eat, grill them over a gas/charcoal grill and serve. To prevent the bamboo skewers from burning, soak them in water for at least 15 minutes before using. You may use metal skewers if you have them handy.

How to prepare pickled vegetables?

To prepare pickled vegetables

• Add about one tablespoon of sugar to a medium size bowl.
• Into this, add about half a cup of vinegar.
• Add the veggies of your choice. I have added chopped onions, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, and green chilies.
• Let the veggies pickle for atleast 10 minutes before serving.

I typically prepare the pickle just before heading to the grill. This should give ample time for the veggies to soak in the acid from the vinegar and to get to know each other.

When you bite through the pickled chile - the burst of mellow heat is simply mind-blowing. You should try this fresh pickle, especially if you have not tried it before.

Ingredients for Chicken Satay

• Chicken thighs are preferred as they retain their juiciness and remain tender when grilled. Other meat, such as beef, pork, turkey, rabbit, venison, fish, shrimp, squid, etc., can be used to prepare this dish. Vegetarians can use Tofu (bean curd), Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, etc. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Cilantro or Coriander leaves add freshness to the dish. It can be replaced or combined with other herbs such as Thai basil (or regular basil), mint, parsley, etc.
• Sriracha sauce is added for spiciness. The sauce is readily available at Asian grocery stores. This can be replaced with any chili garlic sauce.
• Soy sauce adds tanginess and earthy umami flavor to the dish. Fish sauce is used as a substitute or sometimes added along with soy sauce for authentic Asian flavors.
• Vinegar is added for its sour and tangy flavor. It helps in tenderizing the meat. Lemon juice is a good substitute.
• Brown sugar is added to balance the flavors. You can use Palm sugar (jaggery) or regular sugar.
• Curry powder is a blend of spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, etc., used in Indian cuisine and is easily available at Asian grocery stores. Garam masala powder, Tandoori masala powder, etc., can be used as replacements.
• Garlic cloves and Ginger are added for their aroma.
• Green chili and Red Chile powder are added for additional spiciness. These are optional. You can replace Green chilies with serrano pepper, jalapenos, etc. Red chili powder can be substituted with paprika, cayenne, black pepper powder, etc.
• Coconut milk for richness. Replace this with heavy cream, sour cream, or yogurt.
• Salt to taste.

To cook the chicken:

• Bamboo Skewers are soaked in water before being loaded with marinated chicken. Metal skewers can also be used.
• Vegetable oil is used for basting.

Refer to the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and their amounts.

Step by Step Recipe

Step 1: In a bowl, add all the ingredients mentioned in the ingredient list, including the chicken. Stir to coat the chicken. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate it for at least 15 minutes, preferably overnight, in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Skewer the chicken pieces onto the bamboo skewers. Grill the chicken on direct heat (over a charcoal grill or gas grill) for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked. Brush some oil onto the chicken mid-way through the cooking process.

Chicken Satay is now ready. Serve with pickled vegetables, peanut dipping sauce, popular Thai flatbread or flavored jasmine rice, or lontong rice cake and lemon wedges, and enjoy.

Expert Chef Tips

• Soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 15 minutes before using them.
• This recipe is a spicy version. Vary the spices as per your taste.

FAQs

More Thai/Asian Recipes to Love

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Recipe card

Note: The recipe was originally published in July 2018. The post has been modified with a slightly updated recipe in May 2023.